Kédougou: 25 water pumps and several other vehicles seized during an operation against illegal gold mining in Tenkoto

An operation conducted by security forces near Tenkoto resulted in the dismantling of several illegal gold mining sites and the seizure of a significant quantity of equipment. No arrests or incidents were reported.

The Kédougou gendarmerie legion continues the fight against illegal gold mining in the region. Thus, on Wednesday, October 22, 2026, elements of the Sabodala Local Brigade (BP) support point, stationed in Tenkoto, supported by those of the Kédougou Surveillance and Intervention Squadron (ESI), carried out an operation to dismantle illegal gold mining sites.

The operation took place between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., about five kilometers from the village of Tenkoto, on the laterite track leading towards Sabodala.

A large quantity of equipment seized

This operation enabled the forces involved to seize a large quantity of equipment used in illegal gold mining activities.

The report details the seizure of 25 motorized pumps, six motorcycles, five "spitter" type machines, and two motorized tricycles. In addition, 70 plastic basins were also recovered from the targeted sites.

Despite the scale of the operation, no one was arrested. The operations proceeded without any reported incidents.

The fight against illegal gold mining continues

This new intervention is part of the actions to combat illegal gold mining in a region where gold panning activities constitute a major issue of security and environmental preservation.

An investigation is underway to determine the precise circumstances of these activities and to identify, if necessary, the people involved.

In Kédougou, operations to dismantle clandestine sites are continuing in an attempt to stem a phenomenon that regularly mobilizes security forces at the various gold mining sites in the region.